For more than a decade, governments worldwide have targeted journalists and human rights activists with sophisticated hacking techniques. These attacks, perpetrated by state actors in countries including Ethiopia, Greece, Hungary, India, Mexico, Poland, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, involved the use of spyware to compromise victims' phones, sometimes preceding intimidation, harassment, and even violence.

In response to these threats, a team of digital security experts has emerged to protect high-risk communities. This team, consisting of approximately a dozen individuals primarily based in Costa Rica, Manila, and Tunisia, operates under the umbrella of Access Now, a New York-headquartered nonprofit. Specifically, they form the Digital Security Helpline, offering a 24/7 service to journalists, human rights defenders, and dissidents who suspect they have been targeted by mercenary spyware from companies such as NSO Group, Intellexa, or Paragon.

Hassen Selmi, who leads the incident response team at Access Now, explained the mission: "The idea is to provide this 24/7 service to civil society and journalists so they can reach out whenever they have a cybersecurity incident."

The use of spyware by governments has raised significant concerns about privacy, freedom of the press, and human rights. International organizations and advocacy groups have condemned the practice, calling for greater regulation and accountability in the development and deployment of such technologies. The Access Now Digital Security Helpline represents one effort to mitigate the harm caused by these attacks and provide support to those targeted.